expression, godan verb (-ru)
defeat one's enemy
A straightforward expression meaning to beat an opponent in battle or competition. The verb 破る (やぶる) here carries a sense of breaking or crushing the enemy's forces.
彼はついに敵を破った。
He finally defeated his enemy.
この戦略で敵を破ることができる。
We can defeat the enemy with this strategy.
敵を倒す is more common and neutral for 'defeat an enemy,' while 敵を破る has a slightly more emphatic or literary nuance of 'crushing' the enemy.
A fixed expression composed of 敵 (enemy) + を (object marker) + 破る (to break, defeat). The verb 破る has been used since Old Japanese with meanings of tearing, breaking, or violating, and here it extends to defeating an opponent.